NTSB Identification: CEN18FA02414 CFR Part 91: General AviationAccident occurred Saturday, November 04, 2017 in Hatch, NMAircraft: CESSNA 172N, registration: N251CHInjuries: 4 Fatal.This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators either traveled in support of this investigation or conducted a significant amount of investigative work without any travel, and used data obtained from various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.On November 4, 2017, about 1630 mountain daylight time, a Cessna 172N, N251CH, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near the Hatch Municipal Airport (E05), Hatch, NM. The pilot and three passengers received fatal injuries. The airplane was owned by Caribbean Paradise LLC and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the flight, which was not on a flight plan. The estimated departure time from E05 was between 1630 to 1730, and the destination was the El Paso International Airport (ELP), El Paso, Texas. The flight departed ELP earlier in the day and landed at E05 about 1300. The pilot and passengers went to a local restaurant in Hatch and had lunch, and they were driven back to the airport around 1600. The exact departure time is unknown and there were no witnesses to the accident. The airplane impacted rugged desert terrain located about 0.56 nautical miles (nm) west of the departure end of runway 29 (4,110 ft by 60 ft, asphalt) at E05. The flight did not return to ELP as expected, and a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued. The airplane wreckage was not located until 1700 on November 5, 2017.At 1635, the surface weather observation at the Las Cruces International Airport (LRU), Las Cruces, New Mexico, located 27 nm south of the accident site, was wind 220 degrees at 15 kts, gusting to 18 kts; 10 miles visibility; skies clear; temperature 23 degrees C; dew point 6 degrees C; altimeter 30.05 inches of mercury.Aircraft and Owner/Operator InformationAircraft Manufacturer: CESSNARegistration: N251CHModel/Series: 172NAircraft Category: AirplaneAmateur Built: NoOperator:On fileOperating Certificate(s) Held: None

Wreckage and Impact InformationCrew Injuries: 1 FatalAircraft Damage: SubstantialPassenger Injuries: 3 FatalAircraft Fire: NoneGround Injuries: N/AAircraft Explosion: NoneTotal Injuries: 4 FatalLatitude, Longitude: 32.666389, -107.214444Those who may have information that might be relevant to the National Transportation Safety Board investigation may contact them by email eyewitnessreport@ntsb.gov, and any friends and family who want to contact investigators about the accident should email assistance@ntsb.gov

EL PASO, Texas - ​​​​​Members of Destiny Family Christian Center in El Paso are devastated after a plane crash near Hatch, New Mexico claimed the lives of four beloved members, including three pastors.Anthony Deramus, Christopher Howell, Kanequa Chancellor and Malcolm Watkins were killed after the aircraft they were in went down, approximately 300 meters northwest of the Hatch airport. New Mexico State Police told ABC-7 investigators responded to the downed aircraft at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. All four people inside were pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. According to Adele Johnson, co-pastor at Destiny Family Christian Center, all four people inside were active and long-time members of the church. Johnson said Chancellor was a young adult pastor and a member of the church for decades. She said she came to El Paso on a scholarship for UTEP basketball's team. "A pillar in our community, and we are really devastated," Johnson said. Johnson said Howell was also a minister at the church, and Deramus, the pilot, was a deacon. She said Watkins was Chancellor's cousin and lived with her. "She was giving him a new lease on life," Johnson said. "All of them were very generous very active members, not just in our church but in the community."Johnson said the four were taking a plane ride to Hatch to celebrate Chancellor's 41's birthday. "Their plan was to have dinner in Hatch and come right back and be in service Sunday morning," Johnson said. "She'd asked me to make her a cake for her birthday. Her favorite red velvet. I brought it to church and texted her, 'the cake is in my office' and never got a response. I texted her 'are you here?', and never got a response. Then learned subsequently that they were missing." Johnson said the crash happened between 5 and 6 p.m. on Saturday, around the time they were set to be leaving Hatch and going back to El Paso. She said they were told a distress signal was sent out at around that same time Saturday. She is still unsure why it took so long to find them. Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kvia.com

HATCH - Federal authorities on Monday visited the scene of a plane crash that killed four people just outside of Hatch over the weekend.

The incident is the second fatal plane crash in Doña Ana County in a month's span.

The plane crashed Saturday, but it wasn't found until Sunday after a search had been initiated because the group had gone missing, according to village of Hatch officials.

New Mexico State Police identified the crash victims four Texas residents who'd been traveling to Hatch to celebrate a birthday of a member of their group: Anthony Deramus, 57, of El Paso; Christopher Howell, 33, of El Paso; Kanequa Chancellor, 41, of El Paso; and Malcolm Watkins, 25, of Waxahachie, Texas. They were pronounced dead at the scene.

The fixed-wing, single engine Cessna aircraft crashed in the desert near the Hatch Municipal Airport. The crash site is north of N.M. Hwy. 26, about three miles west of downtown Hatch.

Village of Hatch Clerk Pat Banegas said authorities discovered the downed plane Sunday.

"State police were searching with their helicopter and their vehicles, and the helicopter located them (the victims)," he said.

Under investigation

State police said the cause of the crash is under investigation by federal aviation authorities. Banegas said he wasn't aware of any other fatal crashes that had happened near the Hatch airport in recent history.

Banegas said the community of Hatch is extending its sympathies to relatives of the people who died.

"We certainly feel for the family," he said.

The Hatch airport features a paved runway, rebuilt in the year 2000, that totals 4,110 feet in length, according to the village's website. The airport is adjacent to the Hatch fairgrounds, the site of the renowned yearly chile festival that draws thousands of visitors to the small community each Labor Day weekend.

Monday, the crumpled plane was seen a few thousand feet from one end of the Hatch airport runway.

Officials didn't immediately have information about the number of take-offs and landings that happen at the airport. Banegas said traffic is fairly light on the weekends.

"We'll have two to three planes a day on Saturday or Sunday," he said.

The bodies of the victims were removed from the plane Monday morning.

Federal authorities arrive

Federal authorities, assisted by village of Hatch officials, were seen arriving at the crash site Monday afternoon. A state police officer was stationed near the site to keep it secure.

Alma Arguelles, a waitress at Valley Café in Hatch, said she was in disbelief that four people had died in the incident.

"That's crazy — you never think that would happen here," she said. "That's so sad."

Arguelles said she once worked at at different restaurant in the village and served some patrons there who'd regularly fly in to Hatch from El Paso to eat chile-infused food.

"We have a lot of travelers that come through here," she said.

The victims were part of the same El Paso congregation. And one of the victims, Kanequa Chancellor — a former member of the University of Texas at El Paso women's basketball team in the 1990s — had said she was traveling to Hatch to celebrate her 41st birthday.

Hatch resident Bertha Torres said she doesn't recall any other fatal plane crashes in Hatch in recent history.

"Any time you lose somebody in a tragedy like that — it's just so sad," she said. "I just feel so bad for that poor family."

Other crashes

This weekend's incident marks the second fatal plane crash in Doña Ana County in the last month. On Oct. 12, Morris Doug Newton, 77, of Las Cruces and David Glenn Hancock, 67, of El Paso died in a plane crash roughly four miles northeast of the Las Cruces International Airport.

In addition, three other fatal crashes have occurred in Doña Ana County in recent years:

In August 2014, a Cessna 421C crashed just after takeoff. Killed were the pilot, 29-year-old Freddy Martinez of El Paso, Fredrick Green, 59, a Las Cruces man being transported for cancer treatment; flight paramedic Tauren Summers, 27, of El Paso; and flight nurse Monica Chavez, 35, of Las Cruces. The crash was later attributed to a fueling error.

In November 2014, Tyler Francis, 29, the pilot and only occupant of a home-built Ross Vans Aircraft RV-3, was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash near the airport. Francis owned Francis Aviation.

In August 2015, David Tokoph, 64, died from injuries sustained in a plane crash at the Las Cruces airport. Tokoph lived in El Paso and held an international flight speed record.

Hatch,NM/Dona Ana County (KTSM) - New Mexico State Police report four people, including three from El Paso, were killed in a plane crash just outside of Hatch, NM.Around 5:30 p.m. on November 5, 2017, New Mexico State Police responded to a downed aircraft call in Dona Ana County, approximately 300 meters northwest of the Hatch airport. Officers located the sight of the crash and reported a Cessna 172N had crashed.All four passengers were pronounced deceased by the Office of the Medical Investigator and have been identified as:Anthony Deramus (57) of El Paso, TX.Christopher Howell (33) of El Paso, TX.Kanequa Chancellor (41) of El Paso, TX.Malcolm Watkins ( 25) of Waxahachie, TX.The cause of the crash is still unknown at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted and will be arriving today to conduct an investigation into the cause and nature of the crash. KTSM has confirmed the three El Pasoans killed in the crash were all members of Destiny Christian Church in Northeast El Paso. Chancellor served as College Youth Pastor and Deramus was a Deacon at the church. Chancellor was also a former UTEP women's basketball player in the late 90's. Social media posts by Chancellor and Howell indicate that the group had borrowed a plane to fly Chancellor around the city and to Sparky's in Hatch for lunch as part of a birthday celebration for her. Story, video and photo gallery ➤http://www.elpasoproud.comThe group of people killed in a plane crash near Hatch, N.M., this weekend, including a former UTEP student-athlete, were members of the same El Paso church.New Mexico State Police responded to reports of a downed aircraft near the Hatch airport at about 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Officers located the site of the crash and reported a fixed-wing, single engine Cessna aircraft had crashed with four people inside. It was unclear Monday exactly when the plane crashed.Among the dead was Kanequa Chancellor, 41, of El Paso, who played on the University of Texas at El Paso women's basketball team in the 1990s and worked as a career coordinator for the Clint Independent School District. She also had a motivational blog on YouTube where she sweetly touts her love of El Paso, UTEP, her faith and animals.“She was such a joy to be around, she really cared about people," former UTEP women's basketball coach Sandra Rushing said about Chancellor. "She was a tremendous athlete, she’d do anything you ask her to do. She was special. You see these freshmen come in, they are young girls, they leave women. I’m so blessed to have the opportunity to coach her, so very fortunate.”On Saturday, Chancellor posted a five-minute video on her Facebook page where she’s seen flying through the city celebrating her birthday.“I know it's loud, but it’s my birthday flight,” she said in the video posted shortly before 1 p.m. Saturday, adding the group was near Vado and headed toward Hatch.The others who died in the crash have been identified as Anthony Deramus, 57, of El Paso; Christopher Howell, 33, of El Paso; and Malcolm Watkins, 25, of Waxahachie, Texas.The cause of the crash is still unknown at this time. The Federal Aviation Administration was contacted and was expected to arrive Monday to conduct an investigation into the cause and nature of the crash.Chancellor and the other occupants of the plane were members of Destiny Family Christian Center in Northeast El Paso, where she served as a young adult pastor."We are all heartbroken," church co-pastor Adele Johnson told the El Paso Times.She described Chancellor, Deramus, Howell and Watkins as people who lived to give and serve others.“We are all heartbroken ... She became family to us. Her church was her family.”pastor Adele JohnsonJohnson said Chancellor had been a member of the church for more than 20 years — since she came to El Paso on a scholarship to play for UTEP. "She became family to us. Her church was her family," Johnson said.Johnson said she last saw Chancellor at church on Wednesday, and said she was excited about her trip to Hatch to celebrate her 41st birthday."She told me she was going to a restaurant in Hatch, N.M., where she was going to get some chile. She loved chile," Johnson said.Malcolm Watkins was Chancellor’s cousin. He had moved to El Paso from Dallas and was living with Chancellor, Johnson said.Chancellor had asked Johnson to make her a cake for her birthday. When Johnson arrived to church on Sunday morning, she texted Chancellor to let her know that her cake was in her office. However, she never got a response, Johnson said. She later learned the group had gone missing.Deramus was a longtime deacon at the church."He was like family as well," Johnson said. "He loved to serve with his hands. He used to do electrical work at the church. He installed the cameras at the sanctuary."Christopher Howell was also a minister at the church. He worked with children and young adults."The kids really loved him," Johnson said. A service in memory of the plane crash victims will take place at 7 p.m. Monday at Destiny Family Christian Center, 9615 Dyer Street.With her church, Chancellor participated with a nonprofit organization that repaired homes of the impoverished across the city in 2011.“We serve because I believe we’re blessed to be a blessing,” she told the El Paso Times at the time. “Christ always cared for those in need, so we’re really just following his example.”
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.elpasotimes.comHATCH, N.M. -- New Mexico State Police say a small plane crashed about 300 meters northwest of the airport in Hatch, killing four people on board.NMSP officer Carl Christiansen said they found the wreckage of a fixed-wing, single-engine Cessna after receiving the call around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. All four people were pronounced dead at the scene.The victims are identified as 57-year-old Anthony Deramus, 33-year-old Christopher Howell, 41-year-old Kanequa Chancellor and 25-year-old Malcolm Watkins. They are all from Texas.Authorities do not yet know what caused the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration will investigate.Story and video ➤http://www.kob.comLAS CRUCES - State officials are reporting four people were killed Sunday in a plane crash near Hatch. According to a release from New Mexico State Police, officers responded around 5:30 p.m. to reports of a downed aircraft roughly 300 meters northwest of the Hatch airport. Officers reported a fixed-wing, single engine Cessna aircraft crashed with four people inside. All were pronounced dead at the scene. The four occupants have been identified as Anthony Deramus, 57, of El Paso; Christopher Howell, 33, of El Paso; Kanequa Chancellor, 41, of El Paso; and Malcolm Watkins, 25, of Waxahachie, Texas.The cause of the crash is unknown, police report.The Federal Aviation Administration was to arrive Monday to conduct an investigation, police said.Sunday's incident marks the second fatal plane crash in Doña Ana County in the last month. On Oct. 12, Morris Doug Newton, 77, of Las Cruces and David Glenn Hancock, 67, of El Paso died in a plane crash roughly four miles northeast of the Las Cruces International Airport.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.lcsun-news.comHATCH, N.M. (KRQE) – New Mexico State Police are investigating the scene of a plane crash that happened near the Hatch airport Sunday evening.According to NMSP, officers located the sight of the crash and reported that a fixed-wing, single-engine Cessna aircraft had crashed around 5:30 p.m.Four occupants were found at the scene but were pronounced deceased.The Office of the Medical Investigator identified the victims as 57-year-old Anthony Deramus, 33-year-old Christopher Howell and 41-year-old Kanequa Chancellor who were all from El Paso, Texas. Malcolm Watkins, 25, from Waxahachie, Texas also died in the crash.At this time the cause of the crash is still unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration is currently conducting an investigation into the cause and nature of the crash.
Original article can be found here ➤ http://krqe.com

Even if this aircraft was (possibly) overloaded it flew before crashing and control should have been maintained.

This is why I prefer fixed wing aircraft. You can still glide to the ground under control if the engine quits or other issue. Airplanes have numbers and we must not fail to fly them. An airplane in a turn has higher minimum controllable air-speeds. It is flying 101 stuff.

Wonder if the pilot has ever flown with just two full grown adults. The dramatic decrease in performance with only those two pax should have been enough to warn against carrying any more than that in the future.

FlightAware lists as a 172N (160 horse if I remember right); Hatch field elevation about 4100. Four adults and maybe some day bags, not what that airplane was meant to do. Just my opinion (5500 hr ATP, mostly 135)

^ That is the problem with people like you. You break the rules and get away with it once, so you think you can do it again. I hope I don't read about your fatal accident in a overloaded 172 one of these days.

4 adults at 200 lb+ each on average so 800 lb. Now add whatever else they dragged from the town to bring back. Later in the day too when density altitude peaks around 3-5 PM with heated ground and convective current aplenty.Afternoons in the high desert also has its share of extra windy on the side.

It all goes to prove that the conditions one experience upon landing on a field can change significantly by the time to leave... alas ignored due to complacency and get there-ithis.

I expect the probable cause to be a mixture of CG non compliance and a combo of weather related factors. Unless an engine failure happened right on takeoff to exacerbate the already precarious conditions.

Had they waited until the evening when winds die down and temps drop a lot to lower the DA things might have turned ordinary and unstatistical.